The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for plating on selective surfaces of an article a metallic coating, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for chrome plating selected surfaces of a magnetic transducer.
The present methods for plating selected surfaces of an article include the application of a wax coating over the non-plating surfaces of the article, thereby requiring the stripping of the wax coating from the article either by scraping or the application of a cleaning solution, both of which involve high labor cost. In those applications where the surfaces covered by the wax coating are normally not affected by the wax or the cleaning solution, the above method provides acceptable results. In the case of a magnetic transducer or other types of electronic devices in which the non-plating surfaces of the article contain or are in communication with electronic circuits or other types of electrical elements which would be adversely affected when in contact with the plating solution, the wax coating or the cleaning solution used to remove the wax coating, present plating methods have proven inadequate. Other articles which are similarly affected include those having a metal and non-metal construction where the non-metal portion would be adversely affected by the plating solution, the wax coating or the cleaning solution. In order to overcome these drawbacks, the method and apparatus of the present invention has as a principal object, the provision of plating selected surfaces of an article of the type described above without adversely affecting the non-plated portion of the article or its function. It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for plating selected surfaces of an article which is relatively simple in its operation together with low labor costs.